My body has a special nourishing effect. However, both of my marriage engagements were called off.

My first fiance was a religious man who broke his celibacy to make love to me. He canceled the engagement because he couldn't forgive himself.

My second fiance was my childhood friend. He made love to me every night. Then, he apologized to me and said I couldn't satisfy him.

When I was about to take my life, I saw them acting out a pure love story at my friend's bedside.

"Sophia, I won't force you if you don't want to do it."

"For you, I'm fine with keeping our relationship platonic. I don't mind if we never do it. I can hold myself back!"

They treat her gently, as if she will shatter with a single kiss. I put the noose away and call my father.

"Dad, I'm not against it anymore. You can send me to the son of the Lowell family to treat his impotence."

My father, Isaac Wright, sounded surprised yet happy. "Julie, you were so adamant about not marrying into the Lowell family yesterday. Why the sudden change of mind?"

I climbed down from the stool and laughed. "I just thought that since I'm all grown up now, it's about time I contribute to our family. I still remember the Lowell family's promise to save the Wright Group if I marry their son and cure him."

Isaac said repeatedly, "This is great!"

I had never heard him say that to me in the past decade. Ever since my mother, Dorothy York, passed away, he had rarely ever smiled at me. The only time we had a proper talk was when he brought Sophia Somerville home.

Isaac said his military buddy had passed away and left Sophia behind. He added that even though she was sickly and frail, she could still be my friend, so that I wouldn't be lonely. However, she became the cause of my isolation.

After hanging up the phone, I heard Xavier Ferris ask from outside, "Who's in the bathroom? Get out!"

I grabbed the rope and opened the door.

"Julia? Why are you here? And why are you holding something like that?" Xavier frowned.

His eyes were filled with vigilance. It was as if he were scared that I would hurt Sophia.

"Ignore her. She's always been this willful and loved pranking people since we were kids," Aaron Carter also said coldly, standing nearby.

He fidgeted with his rosary and gently caressed Sophia's hand. "We've seen everything you did to Sophia all these years, so stop your scheming."

I heard something shatter inside me. Sadness swallowed me whole. I bit my lip until it bled.

"I arrived before any of you. Didn't Sophia tell you anything?"

"Julie, it's my fault for forgetting to tell them. Don't be angry at me!" Sophia finally spoke up from her bed.

She got out of bed and kneeled before me. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry…"

"Julia, you've crossed the line!" Xavier immediately carried her back to her bed.

Aaron tightened his grip on his rosary. "Julia, what goes around comes around. Aren't you scared of being punished for your actions?"

Even though the heater was on inside the hospital room, my body felt cold. "Punished? Me?"

I laughed. "If I'm going to be punished, what about you two?

"To avenge Sophia, you pretended to love me and got engaged to me, only to later toss me aside like I'm nothing! What do you think your punishment will be, then?"

Their expressions stiffened after I finished my sentence. "Did you hear everything, Julia?"

Of course I did. Since I turned 18, I had gotten engaged twice, and both were called off.

Aaron broke his celibacy and made love to me in the church over and over again. But after we got engaged, he told me.

"Julie, I can't forgive myself for breaking my celibacy. I have to atone for my sins for the rest of my life, so I can't marry you."

After I got together with Xavier, he made love to me every night and called me his baby as he held me. We even picked out a wedding dress, but then he said that his lust was too strong and we didn't suit each other.

My mother passed away too soon, and my father wasn't close to me either. After how both my engagements ended up, I thought it was just my fate, and that I didn't deserve to be loved. It turned out that everything was their scheme.

"Either way, this has nothing to do with Sophia. Don't push the blame onto her."

Xavier shielded Sophia behind him. "So what if we did it on purpose? Have you forgotten how you bullied Sophia when we were kids?"

"Xavi, Ronnie, don't blame her! It's all my fault…" Sophia looked innocent. Her eyes were teary.

I had seen this expression too many times. Whenever the four of us played together during our childhood, something would happen every time Sophia and I were left alone.

One time, Sophia's face was smashed into a cake. She cried pitifully.

"It's all my fault. Julie didn't do anything! I fell by myself. Believe me…"

Xavier immediately flared up. "How is it possible for your face to smash right into the cake if you fell by yourself?"

Aaron frowned. "Tell us who did this. We'll stand up for you."

Everyone looked at me. Dazed, I tried to help Sophia up.

However, she purposely flinched away from me and fell one more time. Her head started bleeding.

"Julie, I'm already trying my best to endure the pain, so can you stop hurting me? It hurts so much!"

That day, I was forced to bow and apologize to her in front of everyone. Even if I said I didn't do it, who would believe me?

In the hospital room, Xavier looked at me solemnly. "Julia, come at us if you want to hold us accountable.

"We can deal with everything outside. Don't disturb Sophia when she's resting!"

They walked to the door. Sophia was wearing Xavier's family heirloom ring and the rosary Aaron always carried around. I stood up weakly, wanting to leave this suffocating place.

Suddenly, Sophia shrieked. When I turned back, the ring had been smashed into two, while the rosary had been shattered into pieces. The shards even cut the back of my hand.

"Julie, you…" Sophia started to cry. Her voice was filled with sorrow.

This was no accident—it was a scheme aimed at me. As Xavier and Aaron angrily stared me down, I felt like a beached fish that was about to die from dehydration.

"Julia, I'm begging you at this point. Stop hurting Sophia!" Xavier's gaze was frigid.

"If you really want to hold us accountable, I'm willing to be engaged to you again. We can just follow our original plan to get married."

I covered the back of my hand. "I'm not marrying you.

"Since the ring and rosary are now in pieces, I hope that my ties with both of you end here. Let's never meet again."

"I hope so too." He sneered.

Their expressions were filled with hatred. Suddenly, pain and shame blurred my mind.

I turned around and left, enduring the pain in the back of my hand. I couldn't bear staying here any longer. After leaving the hospital, I went to see my colleague, Emily Reed.

Emily comforted me and told me that I was blessed, so those scumbags don't deserve me and the family I would marry into would be good. Then, she said she would take me to an outdoor restaurant to eat and clear my mind. However, we ran into Sophia.

"Sophia, you just got better, so don't eat anything too heavy. The Ferris family is one of this restaurant's investors, so tell me what you want. I'll ask the chef to make it for you."

"I remember that Sophia loves steak, so how about we get her the best of the best—Wagyu steak?"

"But…" Sophia turned and pointed at my table. "I want to eat what Julie is eating."

"She just wouldn't leave us alone." I heard Aaron sigh.

Emily immediately stood up. "You're the ones who wouldn't leave her alone!

"I can't believe we're getting mocked even when we're just having a meal. You look like a decent person, so why is your mouth so foul?"

I quickly pulled her back into her seat. Although Aaron was religious, the Carter family's power could not be underestimated. I couldn't drag her down with me.

In the second half of our meal, none of our dishes showed up. Plate after plate kept landing on Sophia’s table, even the huge round table could barely hold them.

"Forget it. I'm not putting up with this anymore. We're leaving!"

Emily pulled me to the exit. But when she turned around, she knocked into a waiter, who dropped the hot soup he was holding. I quickly shielded her from it.

"Julie, are you okay? Julie!"

Pain spread through my arm, and the sudden shock made my throat seize. My airways constricted, and I started to pant.

When Xavier, who was nearby, turned to look in my direction, Sophia grabbed his sleeve. "Xavi, can you help me cut this steak?"

In the end, Emily took me to the hospital. She wanted to stay with me a little longer, but I told her I had to rush to try on my wedding dress later.

The people from the Lowell family had just sent me the address to the bridal boutique. The wedding dress was beautiful and elegant. I knew they must have spent a lot of effort on it, so I couldn't let it go to waste.

By the time they finished bandaging my wound, it was already evening. I went home to get my car. When I entered the parking lot, I saw Isaac talking to someone.

His gaze was affectionate, and his voice was warm. I had never heard him speak with so much love.

"I'm sorry that you had to suffer for so many years. Once Julia leaves this house, I'll let you into our family and change your last name.

"Of course. My little princess will have everything in the Wright family. If you want the moon, I'll even steal it for you…"

My eyes widened in surprise. I rushed forward in disbelief. What I saw was a face I was very familiar with.

"Julie?" Sophia paled in shock. Next to her were Xavier and Aaron, who had accompanied her home.

My hands started to tremble. "Dad, what is the meaning of this?"

Isaac sighed. "Calm down, Julia. I never told you because I was worried you'd do something rash and irreversible."

Suddenly, everything clicked inside my mind. No wonder he rarely came home and stopped playing with me after Dorothy passed away. I thought he was just too sad to face anything related to Dorothy, including me.

When he brought Sophia home, I didn't suspect anything at all. Instead, I was glad he still cared about me and loved me. How ridiculous.

"Mr. Wright, we've cleared out your wife's memorial space. Take a look at it. If nothing's wrong, we'll change the space into a bright game room according to your requests."

When he fell silent, a worker walked out of the room. They were holding shovels with fresh dirt on them.

Tears rolled down my cheeks and into my messy hair. I ran into Dorothy's memorial space like a madwoman.

As expected, the whole space had been cleared out. All I saw was gravel and sand. The sight cut into my eyes like a knife.

"Where's Mom? Where did you move Mom's urn?"

"The basement, of course," Sophia said with a smile.

After her return to the Wright family was confirmed, she finally stopped acting like a frail and gentle lady in front of me. "I guess you're my sister now, Julie.

"Mrs. Wright passed away so long ago. It's about time she moves to another resting place. Don't be so sensitive about it."

I felt like I was being torn apart. Growing up, no one ever sided with me. The one who always had my back was my mother.

After she passed away, I drifted through life like a ghost. Now, even my only support pillar had to be insulted!

I was livid. I shouted, "Dad, you know I have claustrophobia!

"I can't even enter the basement without throwing up! Besides, how can Mom be comfortable in a dark and humid place like that? Dad… I always called you that since I was born, but have you ever seen me as your daughter?"

Isaac stood still and remained silent. Sophia laughed.

"Julie, no one lives by old-fashioned rules anymore. All we did was move her urn. Why are you so—"

"Get lost! Who gave you the right to speak?"

I slapped Sophia. This was the only time I raised my hand at her since our childhood.

But just before my hand hit her, Xavier stepped forward. "Calm down, Julia."

He grabbed my hand hesitantly, but his hesitation quickly turned into admonition. "I already told you I'd marry you as long as you don't hurt Sophia. Stop making a fuss here like some lunatic!"

Aaron also looked at me warily, standing nearby. The room fell silent. Then, my phone buzzed.

"Ms. Wright, are you coming out? I'm the driver Mr. Lowell sent to pick you up.

"I'm waiting for you at the door. If you need help, feel free to come out and get us."

I looked up and laughed until I cried. Despite being 25 years old, the only people that I could escape to were the Lowell family, whom I had never even met before. What a joke.